Method of and apparatus for defense.



11. GT SAUNDERS, .IR. METHOD OFAND APPARATUS FOR DEFENSE.

' APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22,1916. 123,827.

A TTOR/VE y D. G. SAUNDERS, In. METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DERENSE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22. 19I6. Patented Sept. 4, 1917 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2. 1

" fair/157 D. G. SAUNDERS, In.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DEFENSE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 22 1916. 1,138,$2?a Patented Sept. 4, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- INVE N TOR. I

ATTu/TNEY DANIEL G. SAUNDERS, JR., 0F KANSASCITY, IVIISSOURI.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR DEFENSE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept at, 1917.

Application filed March 22, 1916. Serial No. 85,834.

2' '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL G. J12, a citizen of the United States, residing at ansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Apparatus for Defense; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

y invention relates to SAUNDERS,

a method of, and

apparatus for positioning heavy guns, and

has for its principal object to transport and set heavy long range guns at strategic points to afford protection or defense for a long coast line, or border with a minimum numer of guns.

The long range guns used in modern Warfare are necessarily of such great weight. that it is impractical to move them with ordinary transportation facilities, so that when they are once positioned, they constitute a permanent defense for that point, but are unavailable for other localities, so that an enemy might attack from a point out of range of the permanently mounted gun and thereby render the gun ineffectual or power less from a defensive standpoint.

s guns of long range are of very expensive manufacture, it would constitute a considerable drain on any government to locate guns at all points where they'might be needed and where they should necessarily be positioned to repel an enemy along an entire coast line or border.

I have, therefore, in the present invention, provided for defending a long coast line, or border with a number of large or long range guns which ordinarily would be totally insufficient, by providing for the transfer of the guns from point to point, and by providing suitable foundations for the guns at strategic points or where they might be required.

In carrying out the invention, I locate permanent foundations at the strategic points and connect these foundations by tracks over which trucks upon which the guns may be carried arei'un, the tracks extending into the foundations 5:) that vided improved trucks carrying the' guns may be run onto the foundations and the guns removed from the trucks and placed on the foundations and again removed from the foundation and placed on the trucks when they are to be moved to different points.

In carrying out the invention, I have prodetails of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure I is a perspective yiew of a defense system comprising my improvements.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a gun foundation and part of a connecting track, illustrating the connectionof the track with the foundation and showing a long range gun on a truck that is being moved over the track.

Fig. III is a perspective view as it appears on the foundation Fig. IV form of gun carriage and foundation.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

1 designates a solid foundation, preferably composed of concrete and having a sunken, circular bed 2, within which a platform 3 is rotatably mounted, the said platform being preferably supported upon roller or like bearings 4, so that it may be turned in order that a gun carried thereby may be aimed in different directions.

Sunk in the platform 3, so as to avoid projection therefrom are truck rails 5, and sunk in the foundation 1 and adapted for cooperation with the rails 5, are other sections of track rails 6, which in turn are adapted for cooperation with the rails '7 of an ordinary railway track 8, which leads to the foundation, and over which a truck 9, that is adapted for carrying a heavy load is adapted to travel.

10 designates a gun of any suitable type, here shown to be of long range, and which is mounted in any suitable manner on the carriage 11, the construction of the gun and carriage forming no part of my present invention, as the inventionv is adapted for application to guns of any heavy type.

The gun carriage 11 is of greater width than the truck 9, so that its side edges project beyond the edges order that suitable jacks to the carriage of the gun may be applied to lift it from the truck 1s a perspective View of a modified of the truck, in

gun carriage 11 and comprise vided, at its longitudinal edges, with apertures 15 which are adapted for receiving bosses 16 on the platform 3 when the gun carriage let down onto the platform to anchor the carriage to the platform and to 15 prevent its displacement following disharge.

In Fig. IV I have illustrated a modification of the platform and gun carriage construction, wherein the platform contains a.

lcd 17 similar to the bed 2 in the foundation 1 and within which a platform 18 is adapted to turn. In the modified form, however, the platform also constitutes the gun carriage as the gun l9,is mounted permanently thereon. In this modification the flat founelation is provided with an entrance way 20 through which the truck 9, with the gun mounted thereon, may enter the bed.

The platform 18 is also provided with a suitable jacks, indicated by the barrels 21,

although I prefer in some instances to locate the jacks in the foundation, or independently of both the foundation and carriage, but which are adapted to be raised and lowered to raise and lower the gun carriage.

In utilizing the invention, I. locate the foundations at suitable points along a coast line, a border or other defensive line and at suitable intervals to afford satisfactory de- 'cnse when the guns of a desired caliber are "mounted'thereon. I thenconnect all of the foundations by a railway track, having branches adapted for cooperation with the foundation tracks to carry trucks onto the foundation platforms, and provide ,gun carriages of a construction that will cooperate with the receiving platforms of the several 'l'oundations to anchor the. guns to the platforms in a manner that will afford satisfactorv use of the guns.

lYith the foundations connected in this wa v,, a limited number of guns may be provided. as when the guns are needed at any particular points. they may be loaded onto truck and carried to such points.

\Yhen a gun reaches a foundation on a truck 9, the truck is run onto the foundation platform, and the jacks operated to lift the gun carriage from the truck so that the truck may be run from beneath the carriage.

The jacks are then operated in the reverse direction to let the carriage down onto the platform, so that the anchoring members on the platform and carriage will coincide to e5 anchor the carriage securely to the platform.

.The platform may then be turned about, in

order that the gun may be properly aimed and the gun used in the usual manner. After the gun has performed its offices at one point, it may remain at that point, or if it is required elsewhere, it may again be mounted on the truck and run to the point where its use is desired.

It is apparent that with a coast, or border line equipped with the foundations so described and connected by the railway track, guns of heavy caliber may be transported from point to point, so that the coast, or border line may be efiectually protected without the necessity for the vast investment in guns'that would be required if permanently mounted guns were located at sufficiently close intervals along the coast or border line to afford the protection that can be given under the present method.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. In an apparatus of the class described, a foundation comprising an element for revolubly supporting a gun carriage, a railway track on the foundation, a railway track leading to and cooperative with the foundation track, a truck movable over said tracks, a gun carriage separate from and adapted for transport on the truck, and means for lifting the gun carriage from the truck to permit removal of the truck and lowering of the carriage onto the foundation.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, a foundation comprising. an element for revolubly supporting a gun carriage, a railway track on the foundation, a railway track leading to and cooperative with the foundation track, a truck movable over said tracks, a gun carriage separate from and adapted for transport on the truck, means for lifting the gun carriage from the truck to permit removal of the truck and lowering of the carriage onto the foundation, and ground means cooperative with the lifting means to center the gun carriage relative to the foundation when the carriage is lowered thereonto.

3. The combination with a foundation, having a platform bed downset therein and having a trackway opening through one edgeinto the bed. a gun platform adapted for rotation in said bed, tracks at the bottom of said bed and'extending through said trackway, and a track leading to the track in the foundation trackway.

l. The combination with a foundation, of a platform rotatably mounted in the foundation, tracks on the f -andatitn and platform adapted for coextension, a track leading to the foundation track, a gun carriage. trucks supporting said gun carriage and adapted for travel over said tracks, and jacks for raising the carriage from and lowering the tracks, a gun carriage adapted for reinow same onto the platform and trucks. able support on said trucks, and jacks on the g 5. The combination With a foundation, carriage for raising the gun carriage from having a circular bed, of a platform rotasaid trucks and lowering the same onto said 5 tably mounted in said bed, tracks sunk in platform.

the foundation and platform and adapted Intestimony whereof I afiix my signature. for coextension; a track leading to the foundation track s,- trucks movable over the said DANIEL G. SAUNDERS, JR.- 

